Background Information

‘TravelWise’ is a brand developed by the Department of Foreign Affairs for public communications relating to international travel, facilitating citizens in taking an informed approach to international travel. Through TravelWise, the Department seeks to amplify its advice relating to international travel, with regular public communications campaigns and engagement with travel stakeholders.

The Department of Foreign Affairs provides information and advice to prepare citizens before travelling abroad, and offers an objective assessment of the risks they could face. Its travel advice offers guidance to citizens on how to deal with incidents that may arise while travelling overseas. We publish clear, accessible and up-to date travel advice for around 200 countries and territories, so that citizens can make informed choices about international travel on the basis of accurate and impartial information. Travel advice is one of the Department’s most consulted services. It provides country-specific information both in English and in Irish on safety and security, entry requirements, health, local laws and customs, and useful contact details in the event that consular assistance should be required.

The consular services the Department provides includes, most notably, consular assistance - the provision of guidance and support to citizens in difficulty or distress abroad, the details of which is outlined in the Department’s Consular Assistance Charter which features heavily throughout this lesson.

This support is provided not only by the Department’s Consular Directorate in Dublin, but also by its network of Embassies and Consulates around the world. Furthermore, the Consular Directorate also manages a network of almost 90 Honorary Consuls in over 50 countries who provide consular assistance in places where we do not have a diplomatic Mission, or where we need to supplement coverage in a defined geographic area.

It also includes crisis response. This is a vital aspect of the Department’s work given the increasing incidence of major consular crises driven by geopolitical turbulence, climate change and public health emergencies, all of which can affect, and have affected, Irish citizens across the globe. Most recently the Department has been engaged in this type of work in Sudan and Gaza.

The Department’s consular services also includes work in the area of preventative consular assistance. This work focuses on the provision of travel advice, and is both thematic and country-specific. Thematic travel advice provides guidance on topics such as natural disasters and climate; medical, cosmetic, and dental tourism; LGBTQI+ travellers; and school trips. Country-specific advice is information to prepare citizens before travelling abroad to, and an objective assessment of the risks they could face in, their destination.

Finally, the Department’s consular services includes the provision of services such as the authentication of documents, providing Certificates of Freedom to Marry, and working with the Department of Justice on the administration of Ireland’s visa service abroad.

Irish people are travelling more now than ever before, and are going abroad more frequently. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has calculated that Irish people took over twelve million trips abroad in 2023, compared to almost nine million in 2022. The vast majority of trips Irish citizens take overseas pass without incident. However, as travel increases so does the likelihood that more citizens will require consular assistance.

The ease with which people now travel – from booking online with a few taps or clicks, to finding themselves the other side of the world within just one day – has also meant that responsibilities and preparations around travel have arguably become more neglected. The accessibility of travel is offset by the fact that good preparation is often ignored, and understandably so, when faced with the exciting prospect of a holiday overseas.

This is where the Department of Foreign Affairs can help. Our thematic and country-specific travel advice assists Irish citizens in making informed TravelWise decisions before planning a trip overseas. This is vital in terms of preparing Irish citizens going abroad to make sure they have everything from their correct documentation including visas, and that they know what laws and customs might differ from those at home.

Not only is the Department keen to have the public engage more with its work, but given the high number of Irish citizens travelling abroad is projected to only increase over the coming years, we see it as an extension of this vital public service that we reach as many as possible about their rights abroad, what they can do to best prepare for a trip to a foreign country, and what can be done if things, however seldom, go wrong.

Over the last number of years there has been a notable increase in cases concerning mental health and wellbeing, as well as deaths of Irish citizens abroad. While not always the case, good preparation is important for citizens to practice to enjoy safe and enjoyable travel. Better still would be the case where Irish citizens grow up aware of how to be TravelWise and carry those lessons into their adulthood where exposure to travel, through work, college, or leisure increases.

The need to increase awareness among the public, including those of school-going age, is an important part of a multi-pronged approach to outreach and a key investment for the Department. This lesson has been designed around helping students prepare for their own travels, often for the first time without their families, as best as they can.